ICAI Starts Toll Free Lines to Serve Members, Students Better
With a view to serve the members and students better, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has started two tollfree telephone lines - one dedicated to the members and another dedicated to the students to answer their queries and resolve their problems vis-à-vis the Institute if any.

The toll free number for Members is 18002002500 while the toll free numbers for students is 18002002501. Members & Students will be happy to note that the calling party (Members & Students) calls free of charge and the subscriber (The Institute) pays for the call charges. Duration of every call is only for 3 minutes. Hence, Members and Students are requested to frame the QUERY and be specific before making a call.

These lines became operational from 1st September 2008. All the calls received on these telephone numbers will be recorded to ensure good quality of services and necessary follow-ups and resolution of problems.

Accounting Museum of the Institute
It has been decided to have a accounting museum of the Institute which can enable students and members to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. You are therefore requested to provide any such item, viz., historic press clippings, mementoes, any document whose heritage needs to be shared with others, classic photographs and ancient paintings related to the Institute and the profession, handicrafts having any link with the culture heritage of our Institute, stamps, video shoots, posters etc., or an item which according to you may be preserved and displayed in the said museum for the inspiration of our coming generations.

In case the material to be sent is delicate / bulky and, thus, needs extra care, you may inform us (president@icai.in) and the suitable arrangement for collecting the same shall be made.

For the Kind Attention of Members
In order to ensure better delivery of journal to the members, the Editorial Board has decided to give them an option to get their copy of journal The Chartered Accountant at their residential address in case they so desire. In view of the above, those members who desire to receive their journal at their residential address are requested to utilize their option through website www.icai.org. Members may note that they may exercise this option for the purpose of journal only and they will continue to receive all other communications from the Institute at their professional address as entered in Institute's records.

For the calendar year 2008
Members who had attended the Diamond Jubilee Conference and did not collect the paper book and gift are requested to collect the same from the Branch.

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Announcement for CA Students

The Hyderabad Branch is happy to inform all CA students that we will be holding a quiz contest and elocution competition at the Branch premises as follows:

17th June 2006 10.00 a.m to 12.00 noon Elocution competition

24th June 2006 02.00 p.m to 05.00 p.m Quiz contest

The quiz would be conducted between groups consisting of 2 students each. If the number of responding teams is more there would be an elimination round and five teams would be selected for the contest. The rounds would consist of questions on Accounting, Auditing, Corporate Laws, Taxation-Direct and Indirect, Costing, Management accounting , Financial Management, Information technology, Economics and general awareness. The best group in the quiz contest and the winner of the elocution competition would be sent to the regional finals at Chennai.

Interested students may please give their name in advance to Mr. Srinivas Reddy or Mr. Jagdish at the Hyderabad Branch.
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Empanelment To Function As Invigilators For Ca Examinations

Our Institute proposes to have a panel of persons who are willing to act as Invigilators in the examinations centres conducting our CA examinations. Interested Members/Retired Professors/Retired Teachers/ Retired Officials from Government PSUs and others who are interested to work as Invigilators may fill in the application form and send the same to the Examination Department of the Institute at New Delhi. However it is clarified that merely sending of an application will not be a pre-condition for appointment as an examination functionary and this Panel of Persons would be utilized as and when any need arises from any of the centres located in a particular city conducting our CA examinations.

The filled in applications as per the enclosed proforma may be sent to:

Sri G.Somasekhar,
Sr.Joint Secretary (Exams), The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India,
Post Box No. 7112, Indraprastha Marg, New Delhi-110 002

Empanelment To Function As Invigilators For Ca Examinations
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For the Attention of the Senior Members

Our President CA. Ved Jain has once again emphasized the need to ensure that all the members, especially senior members, become computer savvy and be able to use the latest technology to synchronize with the dynamic working methodology. The President has expressed his desire that all the members should become proficient in the use of computers by the end of this year without dependency of any kind. In this direction, we have been organizing the program “Senior Members - Introduction to IT” every month but the attendance has been disappointing.

We will be conducting a programme of 20 hours duration to provide hands-on training/ mentoring and support in assisting the delegates to use computers. The course contents will be "Introduction to Computers, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point, MS Outlook, MS Access, Internet and other topics", the details of which will be given in the newsletter of ensuing months. The Institute would provide the POU's, concise background material along with a set of Computer Based Training CDs, to distribute it to the delegates of these programmes. This programme we are planning to conduct in the month of November/ December 2008. The senior and other members are requested to attend in large numbers and register their interest with the branch well in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

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International Study Tour

The International Study Tour to Mauritius will commence on November 14th/15th night and end on November 20th/21st early morning. The tentative price given by the Travel Agency is which is subject to change due to the factors like foreign exchange fluctuation, airfare changes, international rules & regulations etc.,

Members are requested to register their interest with the Branch by email to hyderabad@icai.org or bchakrapani@yahoo.com or over phone to me at 98490-25872

B.Chakrapani
Chairman.

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For the calendar year 2006

Important Announcement About CPE Hours

Dear Professional Colleagues,

We wish to inform you that the CPE credits for the Programmes organised by Hyderabad Branch have been uploaded on the CPE Portal i.e. www.cpeicai.org . We request you to visit the website and give us the feedback whether the CPE credits on the website match with your personal records. If any discrepancies are found please inform the same along with the details at Branch Office

The contact details are:
Phone - 23393182 / 200
Email - hyderabad@icai.org

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Important Announcement About CPE Hours

Good News to all the members. You can complete the full CPE requirement for the year 2006 i.e. 20 Hours in the month of December 2006. Please see details.

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Applicability Of CPE Credit Requirements

For the calendar year 2006
1. All the members in practice, unless exempted, are required to obtain to their     credit a minimum of 20 hours during a calendar year. Unstructured CPE     Learning hours are not applicable for the year 2006. Members shall have to     make up any shortfalls in their CPE Credit in the year 2005 by obtaining     twice the amount of the shortfall before the 31st December 2006. Such     `make-up hours' shall be in addition to the regular CPE Credit hour     requirements for 2006.

2. The requirements of CPE Credit hours are recommendatory for members      engaged otherwise than in practice. Such members are recommended to      earn a minimum of 10 (Ten) hours of CPE Credit in a calendar year.

3. The requirements of CPE Credit hours are recommendatory for members      residing abroad.

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Important Announcement About CPE Hours

Dear Professional Colleagues,

We wish to inform you that the CPE credits for the Programmes organised by Hyderabad Branch have been uploaded on the CPE Portal i.e. www.cpeicai.org

How to Login
Enter membership no. in membership field and the initial password is cpe<membership no
Example: Membership No. 999999 Password cpe999999

Note :If your membership no is of less than six digits, kindly append "0" in the password.
Example: Membership No. 999 Password cpe000999

We request you to visit the website and give us the feed- back whether the CPE credits on the website match with your personal records. If any discrepancies are found please inform the same along with the details at Branch Office

The contact details are:
Phone - 23393182 / 200
Email - hyderabad@icai.org

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http://icai.org/icairoot/includes/announceall.jsp

June 2006
The members of the profession have sought the Institute’s view as to whether’ the Chartered Accountants in Practice can print their photograph on their visiting cards.

The Committee on Ethical Standards (CES), a non-standing Committee of the Institute, has examined the matter in detail. The Committee noted that the Institute has permitted display of Passport Size photograph on the Website of Chartered Accountants in practice/firm of Chartered Accountants in practice, which run on a “pull” model.

The Committee further noted the following directions/guidelines as appearing at page 197 of Code of Ethics, 2005 edition:- “Public conscience is expected to be ahead of the law. Members, therefore, are expected to interpret the
requirement as regards independence much more strictly than what the law requires and should not place themselves in positions which would either compromise or jeopardize their independence.”

In view of the above, the Committee is of the opinion that mostly the business class prints the photograph on their visiting cards for promoting their business and soliciting clients. As such, it is not permissible for the Chartered
Accountants in practice to print their photograph on their visiting cards.

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June 2006
ATTENTION : : MEMBERS/STUDENTS
Inviting comments/suggestions on amendments in the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988 generally, and in the light of the provisions of the Chartered Accountants (Amendment) Act, 2006 specifically.

Members and Students may be aware that the President of India has given his assent to the Chartered Accountants (Amendment) Act, 2006 and, consequently, the same has been published by the Central Government in the Gazette of India Extra-Ordinary dated 23rd March, 2006. For details thereof, please visit http://www.icai.org/icairoot/announcements/announ529.html

Consequent upon publication of the said Amendment Act, 2006, Certain Regulations are required to be made afresh and/or certain existing Regulations are to be amended. For the purpose, a Special Purpose Working Group on Review of Existing Regulations has recently been constituted. The working Group has also been assigned the task of a thorough review/revamp of the provisions of the existing Regulations, viz., the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988. At its first meeting held very recently, the Group, with a view to ascertain the ground realities in respect of the existing Regulations and also to seek the views/suggestions of members and students arising out of the provisions as contained in the said Amendment Act, 2006, has decided to elicit inputs from members and students at large.

Accordingly, members and students are requested to offer their valuable experience/comments/suggestions, if any, on the provisions of the existing Regulations (based on difficulties, if any, faced on account of any of the provisions of the Regulations) and also to make relevant suggestions, arising out of the provisions of the said Amendment Act, 2006. It is pertinent to mention here that although members and students would later get an opportunity to offer their comments/objections, i.e., at the stage of exposure of the draft Regulations, however, it is earnestly hoped that inputs received in the very first instance would enable the Working Group to accordingly formulate the draft amendments for further consideration.

Comments/views/suggestions may, for the purpose, be mailed to amendments@icai.org or councilaffairs@icai.org or the same may be sent to the Director (Council Affairs), The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, ICAI Bhawan, P.B.No.7100, I.P. Marg, New Delhi-110 002, so as to reach latest by 23rd June, 2006.

Eligibility Tests

Eligibility Tests at Accredited Institutes
Students should note that from January 1, 2006 accredited institutes will not be allowed to conduct tests for the purpose of awarding eligibility certificates to PE-I, PE-IT and Final students. Henceforth, all students have to necessarily go through Sunday/ postal test scheme. Thus, the students of the Professional Education (Course-I) have to appear in postal test papers. Students of Professional Education (Course - II) may appear in Sunday/Postal tests as per the existing scheme. Students of the final course may exercise their discretion as given in the first announcement.